A few weeks ago, during a discussion with the Life Group I lead, something one of the women said caused me to share from Acts 15:1.
“Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”” (NASB95)
This is such an important verse. At first, I couldn’t find it because I was looking for it in Galatians and Ephesians. Nope. I had to go “back to left” to find it.
About twenty years ago, I wrote this in my Bible about Acts 15:1:
“Unless you are (…) you cannot be saved.” Beware that phrase. It diminishes the grace of God. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Any time we add something to Jesus for our salvation, we are in trouble.
It isn’t Jesus and circumcision. It isn’t Jesus and baptism. It isn’t Jesus and communion. It isn’t Jesus and Bible study.
We are baptized in obedience to Christ. We take communion in answer to His invitation. We study His word in order to know Him more.
But we are saved only by faith in Jesus.
~robin
Amen! Sadly churches have often lost sight of the central message of the New Testament–that righteousness with God is by His grace alone. They have added their own “rules” to Christianity, which have become a stumbling block to would- be believers.
Thank you for the meditation thoughts today. It was a great reminder.